A Christmas Challenge

December 16, 2011

“So the Word became human and made his home among us…And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”  (John 1:14 NLT)

God became human and made His home among us so we could see and not just read what He wrote in the 39 books of the Old Testament.  We should find a Christmas challenge in the words of the Apostle Paul which tell us “… that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4: 11).

One of the reasons God did Christmas was because He felt that a written Word was not enough.  He wanted us to see as well as read His Word to us.  Everything Jesus was, said, and did was one great spoken Word from God to you and me (John 1: 1, 14, 18).

It is the plan of God that unbelievers in this world today should see as well as read His Word through your mortal flesh and mine.  That truth, which is clearly articulated by the Apostle Paul, moved me to make an important decision in my ministry as a Bible pastor/teacher.  In the early sixties I was praying about accepting an opportunity presented to me to be a radio Bible teacher.  Those words of Paul were used by God to direct me to be the pastor of a church where people could see as well as hear the Word of God in my mortal flesh.

“We’re writing a Gospel a chapter each day by things that we do and things that we say.  Men read what we write whether faithless or true.  Say, what is the Gospel according to you?”

That should be our Christmas challenge all year long.


An Inspired Art Gallery

November 10, 2011

“So the Word became human and made his home among us.” (John 1:14 NLT)

 The Gospel of John is like an inspired Art gallery.  Every chapter of the Gospel is like a room in that gallery with beautiful portraits of Jesus Christ hanging on the walls.  In the first room, the portrait is that of Jesus as the Word that became human to make His home among us.

If you want to communicate a great idea wrap it in a person.  God does that all the way through the Bible.  He communicates the concept of faith by wrapping it in the person of Abraham.  He tells us what grace is by wrapping that beautiful concept in the person of Jacob.

What does it mean when we are told that Jesus is the Word?  A word is the vehicle of a thought.  When I want to communicate thoughts that are in my mind to your mind I use words as vehicles of my thoughts.  God had ‘Thought’ that He wanted to express to this world.  Jesus was like a beautiful comprehensive Word that expressed the Thought of God to this world – and to you and me.

Our loving Heavenly Father decided that an inspired written Word was not enough.  He wanted us to see His expressed thought in human flesh and blood.  He therefore became human and made His home with us so we could see and experience His expressed thought toward us.

The Word not only made His home among us – He wants to make His home in us.  If He has done that for you, what great ideas does He want to communicate to others by wrapping them in your life?